Bad birds: 5 species that top many people's 'don't like' list

Most of us like most birds, but a few birds seem to get on just about everyone's nerves. In most cases, birds we don't like are just too successful — they're everywhere, and in large numbers. Other birds we dislike simply don't belong here; they came from other continents and elbowed their way in.

House sparrows get black marks on both counts. These small birds are not native to our country, but since being introduced some 170 years ago, they've spread from coast to coast. It's the same story with the European starling: not native, brought over from Europe in the late 1800s, now found everywhere.

Canada geese have gone from a dwindling population to a goose explosion, often enjoying golf courses and parks in large groups. These large waterbirds have learned to exploit our many open areas with short grasses maintained by humans.

Brown-headed cowbirds have an unusual habit when it comes to how young cowbirds are raised: They outsource parenting duties by laying their eggs in other birds' nests, letting others raise their young, often to the detriment of the parent birds' natural offspring.

And downy woodpeckers, small, perky hole-drilling birds, are often cited as pests by those of us who live in houses with wood siding. When people complain about a woodpecker making holes in their houses, it's almost always a downy that's the culprit.

A look at five species we love to hate:

House sparrow

Size: About 6 ¼ inches long.

Territory: Found coast to coast, east to west, north to south, non-migratory. Not native to the U.S. but have been here for 170 years and aren't going anywhere.

Nests: In nooks and crannies, inside store signs, cavities and nest boxes.

Bad habits: Will bully (and even kill) birds such as bluebirds and tree swallows to take over their nest boxes. They hang out in flocks, often dominating feeders, and engage in periodic, noisy "shout fests."

Not so bad: Non-migratory, so they're around all winter when other birds are scarce, preferring to be around homes and other structures.

Deterrents: Stop filling feeders with sunflower seeds (they love these) and substitute safflower seed (they're not big fans). Don't toss seed on the ground, as this really brings them in. Check out "sparrow-proof" feeder devices on the internet.

European starling

Size: About 8 ½ inches long.

Territory: Found across U.S., non-migratory. Non-native, but have been here for 130 years and are here to stay.

Nests: In cavities, so a threat to other cavity-nesting birds.

Bad habits: Aggressive, often taking over nest boxes used by other birds, especially bluebirds and tree swallows. Piggy habits, often appearing in large groups in winter, pooping on feeders, seeds, birdbaths. Often drive other birds away from feeders.

Not so bad: They molt into a handsome dark, speckled feather coat for winter. They sometimes mimic other birds' calls (they do a very good killdeer imitation). They engage in amazing coordinated flights called murmurations.

Deterrents: They're drawn to shelled peanuts, so stop offering these for a week or two when starlings appear in numbers. Drop feeder domes lower so it's difficult for starlings to fit inside.

Canada goose

Size: Averages about 3 ½ feet tall.

Territory: Found across U.S., mostly non-migratory. Native to our region.

Nests: On the ground.

Bad habits: In spring and summer they gather on golf courses and in parks to feed and raise their young, eating a lot and pooping a lot. Can be aggressive when goslings are around.

Not so bad: They make excellent parents and actively defend their young from predators. Geese are important to sport hunters and wildlife watchers, and a "V" of geese flying overhead is a beautiful sight. Canadas take turns "babysitting" each other's broods to give parents a rest.

Deterrents: Some golf courses use dogs to chase them away, and park managers often plant shorelines with thick vegetation to make it tough to enter and leave lakes.

Brown-headed cowbird

Size: 7 ½ inches long.

Territory: Found throughout U.S. during breeding season, migratory. Native to U.S.

Nest: Doesn't build a nest.

Bad habits: They're "brood parasites": Female cowbirds leave their eggs in other bird species' nests and let those birds assume parenting duties. Small birds like chipping sparrows and warblers often end up raising a larger cowbird youngster to the detriment of their own nestlings. An adult cowbird may destroy the eggs or young of host birds, to give their egg an edge. For species already close to the edge, cowbirds' parasitism can affect their population.

Not so bad: Sorry … can't think of anything good to say about them. Except that they are natives.

Deterrents: Some songbirds have learned to push back against cowbirds. Robins may eject a cowbird egg from their nest. Smaller birds like the yellow warbler may build a new nest on top of the old if a cowbird egg appears.

Downy woodpecker

Size: 6 ¾ inches long.

Territory: Found across U.S., except parts of Southwest, non-migratory. Native to U.S.

Nest: Excavates a hole in a tree to hold its nest.

Bad habits: Downies love to peck; they do it to make a drumming sound to attract a mate and establish a territory. But what brings them into human conflict is when they peck on a house's siding or window trim. For a small bird they can cause quite a bit of damage, since a house just looks like a large, flat tree to them.

Not so bad: Downies help to control harmful insects. And after they make a nest hole one year, it can be taken over by other cavity-nesting birds, like bluebirds and tree swallows.

Deterrents: Hang mylar strips or DVD discs near a downy pecking site. The Minnesota DNR has tips for discouraging woodpeckers on houses on its website, and Carrol Henderson's "Woodworking for Wildlife" shows how to build a resonant structure to draw them away from houses.

To sum things up, we tend to dislike species that are very successful, as evidenced by their burgeoning populations, and those that have learned to succeed in many different environments. Hmmm. ... does this sound at all familiar?

St. Paul resident Val Cunningham, who volunteers with the St. Paul Audubon Society and writes about nature for local, regional and national newspapers and magazines, can be reached at valwrites@comcast.net.